Australia is gearing up for a huge festival of rugby, with the World Cup set to head Down Under in 2027.
The host cities for the men’s Rugby World Cup have now also been confirmed with seven locations across the country selected to host matches. But it appears there may be one city that has missed out on hosting some of the tournament’s biggest matches.
Surprisingly, Brisbane, the second biggest rugby union city in the country, will not host any games past the quarter-final stages.
Instead, both semi-finals the final and the third-place play-off will be played in Sydney.
Despite that, Brisbane will host multiple games, including six pool matches, two round-of-16 matches and two quarter-finals. The other quarter-finals will also be held in Sydney.
Melbourne is also set to host seven pool matches and two round-of-16 matches, while five pool matches will be played in Adelaide and four pool games will take place in both Newcastle and Townsville.
World Rugby have revealed the locations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup with Sydney set to host the semi-finals and the finalsÂ
It means Brisbane, the second biggest rugby union city in the country, will not host any games past the quarter-final stages
Seven locations across the country selected to host matches, including Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Townsville and Adelaide
Perth is due to stage the opening match of the tournament and while stadiums for the event have not been announced, the Wallabies are likely to take centre stage at the Optus Stadium. Host venues are set to be confirmed later in 2025.
The tournament itself is projected to generate approximately $1.3billion in direct visitor expenditure, with World Rugby expecting that 250,000 international visitors will travel to Australia for the event.
It will also mark the third time the tournament has been hosted in the southern-hemisphere nation, with Australia having co-hosted the event in 1987 and 2003 with New Zealand.
The 2003 final was hosted at Stadium Australia which boasted an attendance of 82,957.
And Rugby Australia are hoping that the tournament will inspire 200,000 more new participants to get involved in the game by 2029.
‘The Rugby World Cup is among the planet’s biggest sporting events and Australia is incredibly excited to welcome the world to the 2027 edition,’ Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said.
‘Australia has a rich history of hosting major tournaments – indeed, we co-hosted the first ever Rugby World Cup almost 40 years ago – and I have no doubt this event will captivate and enthral the hundreds of thousands attending in-stadium and the hundreds of millions viewing around the world.
‘A Men’s Rugby World Cup presents a unique opportunity for our country. From the positive economic impacts, to the energising of the fanbase, to the inspiration provided to the next generation of players, RWC 2027 will leave a legacy that will be felt in Australia for many years to come.
Perth is due to host the opening match of the tournament with the Wallabies likely to raise the curtain on the event at the Optus Stadium
Despite missing out on clinching a semi-final match, Brisbane will host two quarter-final games
| Host cities | Match allocation |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | Tarntanya South Australia | Five pool matches |
| Brisbane I Meeanjin Queensland | Six pool matches, two round of 16 matches and two quarter-finals |
| Melbourne | Narrm Victoria | Seven pool matches and two round of 16 matches |
| Newcastle I Awabakal-Worimi New South Wales | Four pool matches |
| Perth I Boorloo Western Australia | Five pool matches (including the opening match) and two round of 16 matches |
| Sydney | Gadigal New South Wales | Five pool matches, two round of 16 matches, two quarter-finals, two semi-finals, the bronze final and the RWC final |
| Townsville I Gurambilbarra Queensland | Four pool matches |
‘And as for the players, representing your country at a home Rugby World Cup is the absolute pinnacle. Taking the field for the final in 2003 was among the greatest honours of my career and I am delighted this generation of Wallabies will have the privilege of experiencing the
emotion, excitement and joy of pulling on the gold jersey before our passionate fans at a Men’s Rugby World Cup in own backyard.’
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said: ‘Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales, said: ‘It’s great to see New South Wales come out on
top – securing hosting rights to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. Staging the finals and having more matches than any other state, demonstrates just how attractive NSW is as a destination for global sporting events.
‘To all those keen rugby fans across the globe – it’s time to lock in your travel plans. Not only will you get to watch some fantastic sport, but you will also get to tour the best state in the world, home to extraordinary national parks and unparalleled Harbour views.’
Qualification for the World Cup will commence on Friday with 12 teams from around the world looking to book their spot at the tournament.
France, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Champions South Africa, Scotland, Wales, Fiji, Australia, England, Argentina and Japan have all already qualified for the event.
